Patriots Can Pay Both Drake Maye, Christian Gonzalez, But Do They Want To? originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The conversation surrounding the New England Patriots' offseason has (finally) shifted into discussions over the team's two biggest looming contracts. The Patriots are lucky enough to have two top-three players at their position playing on rookie contracts: Christian Gonzalez and Drake Maye.

Gonzalez is due for a massive raise any day now, as a member of the 2023 NFL Draft class. 

Maye still has a year before he will be given what could very well be a half-a-billion-dollar deal. 

The question looming in the back of all Patriots fans' minds is whether or not the team can succeed with these two massive contracts on the books. 

The answer is, in short, it will be no problem. The NFL cap is very navigable. Just look at the Kansas City Chiefs. They were able to win back-to-back Super Bowls while paying Travis Kelce, Patrick Mahomes and Chris Jones. 

Phil Perry addressed the concern on NBC Boston's Thursday mailbag. 

"Teams like the Rams and the Eagles have figured out ways to have multiple players paid at or near the top of the market for years," Perry wrote.

However, Perry did offer a warning. The insider questioned the Patriots' willingness to subject such a large portion of their payroll to a small percentage of the roster.

"Before hiring Mike Vrabel, Robert Kraft explained that the Patriots are essentially a cash-to-cap operation. They try to keep their spending in line with the cap over a three-year period," Perry wrote. "Their spending has been sizable over the last two offseasons, and executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf told Yahoo! recently that that approach probably isn't 'sustainable.'"

More NFL: Delusional Dolphins Fans 'Laughing At Patriots' Despite Dead-Last 2026 Projection

Delusional Dolphins Fans 'Laughing At Patriots' Despite Dead-Last 2026 Projection originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Miami Dolphins are the worst team in football, and I will say that with my full chest. The only roster that rivals a similar level of uninspiration is that of fellow AFC East rival, the New York Jets.

So you can imagine my surprise when I saw the headline "Patriots just gave Dolphins fans another reason to laugh at their offseason" from PhinPhanatic.com.

Nothing should be funny in Miami. Their starting quarterback has completed 105 total passes in his four-year NFL career. The average NFL fan would struggle to name one single wide receiver on their entire roster. They have the worst defensive backfield in the NFL. 

Still, their delusional fans are trying to punch up and find any win they can over the reigning division (and conference) champions. Their criticism of New England? Calling the owner cheap.

"About 1,500 miles northeast, the New England Patriots have enjoyed far more success due to the unmistakable prevalence of one factor and one factor alone: luck," Dante Walker wrote. "They've ranked 24th, 29th, 31st, and 26th on the player survey over the last four years, with players questioning ownership's financial commitment to winning. They've only been top-13 spenders on their roster once out of the last five seasons (Miami's been top-13 each season)."

Translation: Miami's owner spends a lot of money on bad players while New England's coaches consistently get the most out of the players on the roster. But sure, signing known head case Tyreek Hill and terrible quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to a combined 332 million dollars worth of contracts was just unlucky. 

"The Miami Dolphins have their own issues, but at least they aren't strong-arming their draft pick like the Patriots," Walker continued. "Surely, Stephen Ross' spending and willingness to do everything in his power to see Miami win will pay off eventually. He tried importing the Patriot Way with Brian Flores, but the rabbit-footed, horseshoe-clad leprechaun responsible for all of their success stayed behind."

Never change, Dolphins fans. 

More NFL: Former Patriots Quarterback Predicted To Be Traded To Panthers Midseason

The NFL’s biggest offseason scandal was undoubtedly the reports involving New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini. Although Russini resigned from The Athletic before the investigation concluded and Vrabel addressed the situation privately, the controversy has not faded. In fact, investigations by both The New York Times and The Athletic remain ongoing.

According to reports, the inquiry is still considered active, and a resolution does not appear imminent.

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That timeline aligns with an update The Athletic provided last week. “It’s going to take a few more weeks,” Executive editor Steven Ginsberg told reporters.

“There’s just a lot to go through, and we obviously want to take our time and be careful doing that. We will update everybody when we get to the end of that. We’ve also said that if we find anything that needs to be corrected, we will correct it along the way.”

Reason for on-going investigation

At this stage, the investigation appears to focus more on the editorial process behind Russini’s reporting than on her personal conduct. The New York Times, which owns The Athletic, has established journalistic standards that investigators are likely examining closely.

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“When reporting and writing stories we do not have an agenda and it is important that our readers understand that,” the guidelines explain. “If our readers question our adherence to that basic tenet of journalism, our credibility will be at stake. To maintain the highest form of authority we should avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest and reveal those sources or affiliations that may put into question our ability to be credible.”

Since the photos surfaced in April through a Page Six exclusive, Russini has denied any wrongdoing. However, Vrabel’s acknowledgment of his actions, combined with additional information that has emerged in recent months, has fueled continued scrutiny and speculation surrounding the situation.

What consequences, if any, will come from the investigation remains unclear. Russini resigned roughly two months before her contract was set to expire, and Vrabel remains the Patriots’ head coach. The NFL has also previously stated that it will not investigate Vrabel or take disciplinary action related to the controversy.

Patriots Predicted To Make League-Altering Trade For Five-Time Pro Bowler originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The New England Patriots had just 35 sacks last season, and their pass rush could still use a boost.

The Patriots lost K'Lavon Chaisson in free agency, but replaced him with Dre'Mont Jones. They also drafted Gabe Jacas in the second round of the NFL Draft. On top of that, they should be getting a healthy Harold Landry back. Regardless, their pass rush ranked near the bottom of the NFL last season, and they could still use more help.

The Patriots are likely going to give their additions a chance to make an impact, but if they are still struggling to get to the quarterback by the trade deadline, a move could be in the cards. Bleacher Report's Moe Moton predicted the Patriots would trade for Las Vegas Raiders superstar Maxx Crosby at the trade deadline.

"The Raiders will go through rough patches as they grow together, but Crosby, who turns 29 in August, may not have many optimal years left," wrote Moton on Thursday. "General manager John Spytek may decide it's best to trade the star edge-rusher for a first-round pick and more while he's still playing at a Pro Bowl level on a team that may be a year or two away from playoff contention. The New England Patriots may seek help for their pass rush in the second half of the upcoming campaign."

Crosby was already traded once this offseason, to the Baltimore Ravens. However, in an unexpected twist, the deal fell through and Crosby was back with the Raiders. He has noted that he is happy to be with the Raiders and is moving forward with a positive attitude in Las Vegas. However, the Raiders just had the No. 1 overall pick and are seemingly not close to contention. 

They could deal Crosby at the deadline to help acquire assets to build a young core around Fernando Mendoza. Crosby is a five-time Pro Bowler with 69.5 career sacks. He also has 133 tackles for a loss and would be a difference maker on the Patriots.

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